Iran leader: Israel 'a sore'

Netanyahu says new president continues pursuit of destruction

New York Times

Published 10:18 pm, Friday, August 2, 2013

Photo: Ebrahim Noroozi

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An Iranian cleric holding an anti-Israeli placard chants slogan, while attending an annual pro-Palestinian rally marking Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Aug. 2, 2013. The last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is observed in many Muslim countries as Al-Quds day, as a way of expressing support to the Palestinians and emphasizing the importance of Jerusalem to Muslims. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) ORG XMIT: ENO101 less

An Iranian cleric holding an anti-Israeli placard chants slogan, while attending an annual pro-Palestinian rally marking Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Aug. 2, 2013. The last Friday of the ... more

Photo: Ebrahim Noroozi

Iran leader: Israel 'a sore'

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Tehran, Iran

Iranian leaders have often called Israel a "cancerous tumor" that "should be wiped from the pages of time." But on Friday, the country's incoming president, Hasan Rouhani, struck a more moderate tone, by merely calling the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands "a sore."

Attending a celebration for the annual pro-Palestinian holiday in Iran known as Quds Day, named after the Arabic name for Jerusalem, Rouhani said: "In our region, a sore has been sitting on the body of the Islamic world for many years, in the shadow of the occupation of the holy land of Palestine and the dear Quds. This day is in fact a reminder of the fact that Muslim people will not forgot their historic right and will continue to stand against aggression and tyranny."

His comments were captured in a video by state television. However, local Iranian media reported the comments differently. They quoted Rouhani as saying the "Zionist regime is a sore which must be removed." Later in the day they posted corrections.

But Israel had already responded, reporting that Rouhani had said that Israel "has been a wound on the body of the Islamic world for years and should be removed."

"Rouhani's true face has been revealed earlier than expected," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said in a statement. "Even if they will now rush to deny his remarks, this is what the man thinks and this is the plan of the Iranian regime."

He said the comments underscored that regardless of the change of leadership in Iran, it continued to pursue the goal of achieving "nuclear weapons in order to threaten Israel, the Middle East and the peace and security of the entire world."

"A country that threatens the destruction of the State of Israel must not be allowed to possess weapons of mass destruction," the statement concluded.

Rouhani has repeatedly said he wants to reduce the tensions with other countries caused by the departing president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He is, however, a firm supporter of Iran's Islamic system and in his several books he denounces Israel.